


Give him a name woman

by Imaed



Series: What a mother does (the parent arc) [4]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canonical Character Death, Child Abandonment, Daddy Issues, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Stiles Stilinski Has ADHD, mention of sociopath
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-07-24 08:56:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7502142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaed/pseuds/Imaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a father in more than name can take time.</p>
<p>It's probably harder than what people makes you think.</p>
<p>A Sheriff POV of the parent!verse</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi every one,
> 
> Nous aurons le sublime orgueil and following has been so appreciated I could'nt stop from writing another one. I have been waiting for a Sheriff POV for so long, it's the perfect opportunity !
> 
> Hope you will enjoy it !
> 
> I know I'm being vague on some subject (or really quick) you are welcome to ask if things are confusing (i might write a little side drabble to complete it ^^
> 
> Betaed by my wonderful friend ;) Can't thank her enough

For as long as he could remember, Bronislaw Stilinski had always been the easy going child of his family.

With two older sisters and a distant cousin (who had not followed the great Stilinski exile in the United States), his parents had always let him be. They had trusted him very young and had never really cared what kind of person he would become as long as he was a decent sort.

Bronislaw had never been really close to his family growing up, and as such was not really sad when they had passed away. He was in his mid thirties when the car crash with his parents happened and their deaths marked the last time he had heard anything from his extended family. 

He met Claudia after his first year as a deputy when he was 24. She was funny, kind, adventurous and didn't care if her hair were short or if her manners were not feminine. She loved poetry and long naps under the sun. She was the love of his life and never understood how he could be lucky enough to be hers.

They had had a son together; a beautiful, strong and smart son. It was one of the only times Bronislaw cried.

Claudia had asked him if he wanted their son to have a Polish name and Bronislaw could not care less about the name's origins. So his very malicious wife decided anyway and gave their son the most convoluted name ever. 

For the next ten years, his life became the epirome of perfect. He had a great job, and a great family. Never did Claudia stop him from his demanding job, nor did she complain about the days without seeing him. He was well on his way to become a Sheriff; a respected member of the community.

He had tried to be there for the important moments of course, like his son's first day at school, his first sleepover with a friend, the first parent-teacher meeting.

He was there the first time his son had been called 'challenged'; how that made Claudia furious. She went to a pedopsychiatrist the very next day and came back with a new and better answer: Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. Claudia had claimed they should have known, and back then he had not understood. He discovered what she meant after a long time.

When he met Melissa, Raphael and Scott McCall, he understood that his son had found his first true friend.

There had been a few weeks were his son tried to teach his new friend his name, but soon enough he became Stiles.

Stiles had been much quieter then, always moving of course but using his words sparsely. Probably because of the stutter. The young boy had been struggling with all the things he wanted to say but had no idea how to express.

He had been the happiest little child Bronislaw had ever seen (and it was not only because Stiles was his son), always playing a new game, always laughing without restraint, always smiling for no reasons.

And then, all was lost.

The laughter subsided and silence became the norm.

Bronislaw's dream collapsed and hospital's bills became more important than the feeling of belonging he had when he entered his office.

He worked harder, without counting his hours, to make sure his wife would not spend her last months in need of anything.

Stiles started to spend his days at the hospital, running out of his school to spend time with his mom. He started to be more talkative, narrating epic stories about knights and princesses and far away kingdoms. They even started writing a book with them.

But the disease was stronger than the make-believe.

Stiles and his parents spent his 11th birthday in the small pink room, not crying but silent as a tomb.

It was her paranoia the doctors explained: with the loss of her memories, Claudia had started to misunderstand their presence around her.

What broke Bronislaw though, was the fact he was not by her side during her last moment, called away for a stupid car accident.

Two days later, he was called in and promoted Sheriff, for his dedication and strength of character.

He was now a widow, a single dad with a mortgage and had a high maintenance job.

With no money to pay a babysitter and no time off to take care of Stiles himself, the McCall family soon became a very convenient haven.

For a year, he sent his son to their home as often as possible; to go to work at first, and then because it became so easy. Without Stiles he could forget his life was miserable and loose himself in his job.

Everything had been great until Melissa told him she couldn't afford to keep taking Stiles in. And then, here he was again, with a thirteen year old teenager on top of everything.

The truth was, he didn’t know his son. This boy was a stranger, just as much as estranged as he had been from his own parents. And Bronislaw felt guilty about it.

He tried to make it better, to make it right.

He had started with a set of rules-curfew, homework and food related rules. Raising a child could not be that difficult after all. Structure and love should be all his son need.

But Stiles fought with him every step of the way.

He refused the curfew, failed at school and all at once stopped eating. His son also stopped talking.

So Bronislaw grounded him, yelled and fought back, trying to be an authoritative parental figure.

It didn’t work at all.

They fought for months and exhausted by the pain and the weight of his loss, Bronislaw had started to hit the bottle. Not a lot at first, just enough to take the edge off.

Day after day he tried to rule his son and day after day he failed.

Stiles was wild, unstable, and so very alone. Scott was now absent and the sheriff didn’t know whether Melissa had forbidden her son to see his boy or if Stiles had driven him away.

One memorable day, Bronislaw received a call from the school nurse, telling him his son had been found in the parking lot, fighting with another boy. When he arrived to pick him up, Stiles sported a black eye and his bottom lip was bloody. He was also hugged by a very pale Scott.

It took practically no time to discover what had happened. A kid called Jackson had stolen Scott's inhaler and the kid had started to have an asthma attack. Stiles hadn't even tried the reasonable approach-calling an adult, and had taken matters into his own hands, punching the other kid and taking back the drug.

Stiles' behavior had been ruthless and borderline sociopathic was he told by the nurse.

« He should be disciplined and expelled ! », was he told by the other boy's father.

Stiles had been silent the whole time, biding his time, calculating the odds.

Then Bronislaw understood. His son would never not fight against people stronger than him, he would never not fight against unfair or unexplained rules.

For a very brief moment, he was confused and afraid. Stiles was practical and driven, smart and loyal and those were good things. But this level of intensity should not exist in a thirteen year old boy.

The sheriff offered his apologies to the nurse and took his son with him.

They stayed silent for a long time but then his son spoke and Bronislaw felt like his world was collapsing again.

“So, what are you gonna do with me?”

Those words were bitter and thoroughly prepared. Like he was waiting for another unfair decision, another unfair remark over his actions.

“I was thinking about buying us ice cream.”

The surprise in his son's eyes were like bullets in his heart.

“The nurse said...” he started.

“I am very aware of what the nurse said” Bronislaw answered. “It doesn't mean I agree.”

“Why didn't you tell her” asked Stiles suspicious.

“Because you needed to know first.”

They bought ice cream and sat down in the car, eating silently.

“I am not very good at it.” admitted Bronislaw. “Being your father” he added.

“Well, I'm not very good at being your son.” was all the answer he received.

“Why are you not spending time with Scott anymore?”

“His parents don't like me. His dad said I'm a sociopath.”

“You are not a sociopath.”

“How would you know?”

The boy stared at him and Bronislaw didn’t see a trace of the smiling kid he used to be. He was grave and still, like a prey. Like a kid from an abused household. Jesus.

Claudia would certainly kill him if she was still alive. Hell, if she was, nothing would have happened the way it happened.

“Trust me kid, I have met sociopaths before, and none of them would have beat the hell out of another human being to protect a friend. Especially a friend you can't see anymore.”

Stiles considered his answer and assented.

Now was the turning point in their relationship. The sheriff had the opportunity to mend fences or just give up. But Stilinskis never gave up, didn't they ?

“Do you know why I want you asleep before 9 every night ?” he asked.

Maybe if he explained the rules- if they made sense to Stiles then he would follow them.

“Because it's an arbitrary number and you don't want me in your life for more than a couple of hours a day ?” answered his kid with a mean voice.

Great. He needed to be clinical over it if he didn’t want to feel destroyed by his son.

“No. It's because the more you sleep, the more your brain can rest from its day and remember all the lessons it learned.”

Stiles snorted, like he was telling some kind of fairy tale.

“School is useless. I don't exactly need to know what they teach.”

“But you want to be smart don't you ?”

The silence was long enough to assure Bronislaw he guessed correctly.

“It starts by understanding the world around you. And school helps with that.”

“So, I should sleep early because in the end it will make me smarter.”

“Sounds right.”

They finished their ice cream and came back to the car. Stiles still hadn’t said a word.

“What if I can't?” he said suddenly, just outside of the car.

“What do you mean?”

The boy looked embarrassed and ready to bolt.

“The meds make me jittery. I usually can't sleep before 2 AM.”

That was new and very unexpected. Since when has his medication been messing with his sleep schedule? Why didn’t he say anything before? If not to him, to the bunch of other adults present in his life… Melissa or the school nurse. Or maybe not considering they both thought he was some kind of serial killer in the making. Great.

“We can still change them. Or you could join a sports team, making you physically tire out could be the trick.”

“I don’t want to change. The other meds slowed me down too much.”

“Then we will find another way.”

Stiles nodded.

Maybe things were looking up. Not picture perfect, but he could work with that.

And he would.


	2. Growing up is not as easy for them as it is for you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a teenager means your life can suddenly become upside down... It doesn't mean it only changes your life.

He is fourteen when he asked what sex was like.

He had kind of prepared for The Talk. He had even planed a moment during the week end to be more available. He was supposed to be composed and mature about it.

Of course Stiles had been 100% spontaneous and asked about it like it was nothing at all. So instead of educating an awkward teenager, too shy to ask anything too embarrassing he had had a very curious one, with very very specific question about self-discovery and emotional connection, about sexual practices and the Klein sexual orientation grid, about aces and gender expectations. 

He should not have been surprise really. It was not like he hadn’t know that Stiles was special. 

It lasted two weeks, because Bronislaw bought his son a computer and a solid internet connection last month, which meant his boy didn’t stop looking into it even after the end of their talk. Which meant he had more questions in the morning and so on and so forth.

The Sheriff was tempted to ask why it was relevant so suddenly but he knew better. 

Three days later Stiles talked about the Martin’s girl for the first time. He used a lot of superlative words like genius, wonderful, goddess. It was so normal he was instantly suspicious. His son had never been interested in any other teen his age but Scott before. He was curious what have could make it different.

He knew he was a bit old to remember what it was like to be a teenager full of hormones but it looked more like Stiles was checking an imaginary list for “normal behavior”. Which was weird, because he never bothered before.

Hell, since the 'school is important' talk, most of his nights were devoted to researching every topics available and writing high school level papers about it. His father knew because he was proof reading them most of the time, during his very limited free time.

So the sudden interest in girls was suspicious.

The situation had to stay on the background when he received a call from Melissa in the middle of the night.

The Single Parent Freak Out Line has been operational since she allowed Scott’s back in Stiles surrounding last year. At first it was to manage a shifting schedule about who would guard who. Progressively it became a way to vent when one of their kid (usually Stiles) did something stupid or/and lead the other kid (usually Scott) in trouble. But occasionally they used it to ask the very important question a parent should ask their other half. Except they were alone. So there. 

“Did you have The Talk with Stiles?” she had asked.

“You mean the two weeks long interrogation I submit myself to? Yes Melissa, we had it.”

It was a running joke between them. How everything was disproportionate with his boy. 

“Good lord, I’m sorry. Scott has been asking questions but I… I just could not answer it, he is still my baby boy you know?“ she sounded sheepish. 

“Yeah”

The truth was he could not exactly relate to her, their kids were very close but hey were as different as day and night.

“He is talking about this girl nonstop now, Shirley or something… It’s kind of cute but I have to… you know tell him about… I don’t know where to start.”

“Melissa, it’s Scott. He won’t ask about different bondage technics and why silk is better than leather. Just… tell him how to be safe and show him how to use a condom and it should be fine.”

There is a very pregnant silence following his statement. Even when you knew Stiles he always found new way to surprise you. 

“I’m so glad to have Scott” she said and he closed his eyes, stopping a knowing breath.

“Sorry” she added “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“It’s okay.”

He was starting to get used to it anyway. It’s not that terrible, Stiles is mature in ways Scott will probably never be: he did the laundry and he cleaned the house every Friday night. He was teaching himself how to cook and hadn’t require more than band aid as a result. His school work was now spotless and all his free time alone was dedicated to online research (it’s like he never know enough stuff, he always need more). He still had a food problem but the sleep deprivation was under control most of the time. 

He was also starting to be more joyful, which was a long and difficult change. The only person who could make him laugh was Scott, but at least he laughed again. 

Anyway. The Shirley girl. Should he worry about it? Had it been a long time since Scott started noticing her?

“Do you want me to check on her parents if they go on a date?”

“Dates? He barely goes out of the house without Stiles as an escort, do you think he would allow him to go on dates? “Her tone went a bit on the hysteric side and it was time for Bronislaw to use his cop voice. Melissa did not panic easily but he could understand were the feeling came from. One of them had to stay level headed.

“Talk to him. It might be a small crush, but if it’s more than that, I can call the girl’s parents and we will arrange something. Maybe a movie night?”

With everything signposted twice and nobody to make the event more awkward than it already was. 

Good gracious, why didn’t they warn parents about the danger of being with a child? Having a heart attack every other week was not a good incentive. God dammit he needed a drink.

“I don’t want him to grow up.”

“He won’t be a child forever.”

She breathed out.

“I know.”

The call ended and Bronislaw forgot about the whole Martin’s girl all together. Until the fateful moment when Scott asked his mom if she could drive him to the mall with so he could have a milkshake ‘a friend’. Which was not Stiles. Because Stiles was in his no dairy phase. The Sheriff was so desperate to see him eat something, anything at all, that he hadn’t even complained.

Anyway.

Melissa was unfortunately busy that particular week end and in an attempt of sympathy for her nerves he had agreed to act as a substitute.

And so he drove Scott, babbling Scott, extremely babbling Scott, to his first date ever and had waited an hour in the parking lot for him to return. 

Melissa had not been kidding when she had said Scott talked about the girl non-stop. Stiles had barely mentioned the Martin’s girl in comparison. 

Half way through it, he received a text from Stiles saying he had planted an inhaler in the glove box, just in case.

‘Did you eat anything this morning?’ he texted back.

‘Soy pancakes, not as good as the photo suggested ‘

Which meant he probably had only a mouthful. 

‘Why don’t you make regulars?’ he asked.

‘Did you know that dairy product increased the risk of cardiac disease after 20?’

Well that explained the no dairy policy at least.

‘Son, we don’t have family antecedent. You are fine. Eat a regular pancake.’

The buzzing of his phone distracted him from his mission but texting was okay. Texting meant limited words and limited path to screw up. 

‘How is Scott?’ asked another text. 

It looked genuine. 

‘Still inside with the girl’ he answered.

‘Shirley’ supplied Stiles.

‘She seemed nice’ tried the sheriff.

Stiles had been extremely subdue since the beginning of the Date Case. It was very different from the last time Scott had a sleepover with another kid from their school, when the kid had been so upset he had had a panic attack just thinking about it.

Maybe he should have stayed with Stiles, after all. 

‘She is not very interesting.’ Answered Stiles after a while. ‘She doesn’t even like him’

What ?

‘Her girlfriends said it would be a good practice for when she would ask Jerkface.’

Translate Jackson. Well that was sad and manipulative. Maybe he should have called her parents after all. Damned, he was handling this so badly.

‘I tried to tell him but he didn’t listen.’

Well that was another can of dirt all together.

‘Are you alright?’

‘Fine. Scott needs you more’

And wasn’t it his kid in a nutshell. Really.

‘You should try oat milk.’

And that was that. 

Scott was disappointed when he came back and confessed that Shirley had had fun but she was in love with someone else (and it was frightening to see a fourteen years old boy say love with so much seriousness). 

At first the ride was silent. Bronislaw didn't know what to say, he was just midly thankful Scott didn't start to cry. He can feel the tension build under his skin though, so instead of turning left at the stop sign, he went ahead and take the kid to the only person who could probably deal with the situation without all the awkwardness.

Stiles was already in front of the door when his father parked the car ; he didn't said a word (which was weird this days) and took Scott in a big, enveloping hug. There was no tears but suspicious sniffing. 

His boy took them inside where two plates full of steaming pancakes waited for them. Wasn't it weird that his son was more prepared for this than him ? That he was more mature about his best friend going in the big pool and started dating when their parents were just freaking out about it ? 

Bronislaw had the sudden need to call his parents and ask them what the hell was going on. Except his parents had been dead for at least two decades and maybe now would be a good time to keep in touch with his sisters. Maybe they had their act together enough they would help with the general parenting situation.

They eat their pancakes, surprisingly good despite Stiles complaints and suddenly Scott was talking about all the unfairness of it all. Stiles was nodding and humming, agreeing when it was appropriate and waiting for the crisis to pass. 

The Sheriff was a little awed, he wanted to call all the stupid adults who called his son a sociopath cause right there ? Is the best show of genuine empathy he could witness. And it was not faked for his benefit, because the two boys had literally no idea he was still in the room, still eating his breakfast food.

Bronislaw tried to flee the moment, more because he didn't want to make it weird after, when a specific name caught his attention. 

The Martin's girl.

According to Melissa’s son, Stiles was planning a ten years plan to woo the girl. And just… what? Was he? He hadn’t mentioned it. Not even once. What the hell was going on?

« It's okay buddy, Shirley was just not the girl for you ; just because I am planning my ten next move with Lydia doesn't mean you should do the same. I'm sure you will have an epic romance one day. And when it happens I will still be here to tell you 'I told you so'. »

And that was all ; no embarrassed babbling, no fidgeting on his chair, no red cheeks.

Knowing Stiles he had been expecting a thorough verbal diarrhea about the future love of his life, with a brainstorming about wooing techniques completed with pie charts and diagrams.

The more they talked about it, the more it seemed like Stiles chose the most appropriate love interest he could so he would be like a 'normal' kid.

Would they need to talk about it ? Maybe he should call Melissa. Did he need to use the Single Parent Freak Out Line tonight ? 

Who was he kidding ? When did he not need the Single Parent Freak Out Line ? He would spend all of his day on the phone if he could. Maybe now was the time for a drink. A drink would be nice.

He would wait for Stiles and Scott to go upstairs of course. 

Maybe he would buy this new video game he saw the last time he went at the mall. Stiles definitely need more distraction in his life and it would also distract Scott from his heart break. Probably.

Could he afford it? Definitely if he added some night shift to his agenda. 

“Dad?”

He stopped his daydream and redirect his attention toward his son's voice.

“Yeah?”

“We are going in my room.”

Bronislaw nodded and got up to take the plates in the sink. Except they already were. 

He turned around and went to the living room. Just once in his life he wished Stiles didn't act like a mature and independent adult who didn't need no one. Even if it made Bronislaw's life easier, it was just unnatural to have a young boy so neat.

He let a humorless laugh out, when Stiles acted like a normal teenager (namely with the Martin's girl situation) it was almost weirder though. More unnatural for him, like it was forced out of him.

Great.

They really need to have a talk now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay but real life can be quite hefty sometimes. I just moved out of my previous home, found a new job and it will only be for four months :/
> 
> Anyway, there should be a third chapter about the Sherrif's tribulations.
> 
> It's not write yet, so it could take a while (or not considering how my inspiration is going most of the time)...  
> I hope you will enjoy this one !!!
> 
> It's unbetaed so all the mistake are mine.

**Author's Note:**

> No the Sheriff name is not John (I deeply respect people who think it is, I just choose to disagree with them =P )
> 
> I hope my depiction of ADHD was not too awful (I tried to make it believable yet hard to manage)... well I hope my depiction of parenting was not too hard on the poor Bronislaw. Seems to me that being an overly busy cop is not very compatible with being an awesome father mostly because of the lack of free time. 
> 
> To sum up this is fictional work so I suppose it grants me some freedom about it, but I sincerely hope I didn't offend anyone.


End file.
